Vehicle crashes, knocks out power

By Wes Wolfe / Staff writer

Published: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 07:24 PM.

A vehicle slammed into two utility poles on North McLewean Street on Friday morning, knocking out power for about 500 people.

“The first call came into dispatch around 2:40 this morning,” Kinston Department of Public Services Director Rhonda Barwick said. “And, the crews were on site and had the majority of customers up by 5:25 (a.m.). All that was left at that point were the folks in the immediate area of the poles. Then, we worked to dwindle that down.”

Power for the last two structures still out was expected to be restored around noon Friday.

Woody Spencer, spokesman for the Kinston Department of Public Safety, said the vehicle flipped multiple times after hitting the poles, and Lenoir County EMS transported one person to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.

The poles at the location between East Caswell and East Gordon Streets had to be replaced.

“We’re estimating the damage – and keep in mind this is very rough at this point,” Barwick said. “We won’t actually know until we get all the work orders from the crews and the materials they used. But, based on history, I would say the two poles and the labor to reinstall everything – about $10,000-$12,000.”

A vehicle slammed into two utility poles on North McLewean Street on Friday morning, knocking out power for about 500 people.

“The first call came into dispatch around 2:40 this morning,” Kinston Department of Public Services Director Rhonda Barwick said. “And, the crews were on site and had the majority of customers up by 5:25 (a.m.). All that was left at that point were the folks in the immediate area of the poles. Then, we worked to dwindle that down.”

Power for the last two structures still out was expected to be restored around noon Friday.

Woody Spencer, spokesman for the Kinston Department of Public Safety, said the vehicle flipped multiple times after hitting the poles, and Lenoir County EMS transported one person to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.

The poles at the location between East Caswell and East Gordon Streets had to be replaced.

“We’re estimating the damage – and keep in mind this is very rough at this point,” Barwick said. “We won’t actually know until we get all the work orders from the crews and the materials they used. But, based on history, I would say the two poles and the labor to reinstall everything – about $10,000-$12,000.”

The incident remains under investigation.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.